Atlantic Sturgeon Research in Delaware Bay

April 16, 2012

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has deployed 7 acoustic receivers in the Delaware Bay to track migration patterns of Atlantic sturgeon. The receivers are generally set in water depths less than 20 feet. Those fishing in inshore waters may encounter the white buoys marked "NJDEP Research".

As part of a multi-state collaborative effort, the Division has partnered with several states to develop a multi-year effort directed at providing state, federal, and regional management authorities with information necessary to successfully conserve and ultimately restore the population of sturgeon in the mid-Atlantic region.

With the recent endangered species listing of Atlantic sturgeon, effective April 6, 2012, (see www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2012/01/31_atlantic_sturgeon.html for details), research on this species has gained significance. The Division's portion of the project is to purchase, assemble, deploy and maintain 18 receivers in the Delaware Bay. Data will be downloaded monthly from each receiver to detect movement of Atlantic sturgeon tagged with acoustic telemetry tags. The new receivers will complement the existing receiver array within Delaware Bay, specifically on the NJ side, to ensure complete coverage of the sampling area. The additional coverage will allow for greater detection of Atlantic sturgeon and provide the ability to monitor immigration and emigration from the Delaware Bay. The remaining 11 receivers will be deployed over the next few weeks.

For more information about sturgeon in the Delaware Estuary, see the 2005 Marine Digest article, Delaware River Sturgeon(pdf, 143kb).

For exact receiver coordinates or for more information about the project contact Heather Corbett at 609-748-2020.